Day Two

Florence’s Uffizi Gallery (Galleria degli Uffizi) is a treasure trove of important art works. Allow yourself ample time to explore its riches; the truth is you could spend all day and not have enough time to take it all in.

 

The gallery is divided into periods, allowing visitors to view the progression of Italian art. The Botticelli rooms contain The Birth of Venus, among many of his finest pieces. Leonardo da Vinci’s Annunciation hangs in the salon. Also on display are Michelangelo’s Holy Family, Raphael’s Madonna of the Goldfinch, Rembrandt’s Self-Portrait as an Old Man, and Fra Filippo Lippi’s Madonna and Child with Two Angels.

 

The Uffizi is another one to book advance tickets for. In the summer, wait times can be hours, if it isn’t completely booked for weeks in advance.

 

For an opportunity to enjoy the outdoors for a while, leisurely stroll across the Ponte Vecchio, which is one of eight bridges spanning the Arno River. The Etruscans constructed it in ancient times, and it is the only bridge to survive World War II intact. Enjoy poking around the numerous jewelry stores that line the bridge.

 

The Ponte Vecchio will deposit you at the Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens, where you can spend your afternoon. The Brunelleschi designed Palazzo Pitti was built in the mid-15^th century, and it served as one of the Medici family’s residences. Now it contains several museums, the most significant of which is the Galleria Palatina. Behind the Palace are the famous Boboli Gardens, designed by the 16^th century landscape artist, Triboli.